The door squeaked as a single ray of light fell on his face, growing larger until it covered half the room. Ryo could hear the familiar light footsteps walking over to the side of the bed where he was sleeping.

"Dad..." It was his six year old son.

"What is it, Ginga?" The red haired man mumbled, still half asleep.

The small child looked down at his feet, "I had a bad dream..."

Ryo sat up and turned to placed his feet on the floor, "The same one as before?"

Ginga nodded. This was probably the fourth time this week. His son has been having a repeating nightmare, and he won't tell him what it was about.

His father sighed, "Alright, Ginga. Come on, lets get you back to bed." he stood and held out a hand, which his son took, and they walked out into the hallway. They were in front of the steps when Ginga stopped.

"Dad, can we go downstairs for a little?" he asked while pointing down the stairs.

"But Ginga..." Ryo started.

Ginga put his hands together and looked up at him, "Pleeease? I'll go to bed then, I promise!"

Ryo was too tired to argue with him so he just nodded tiredly. The kid led him downstairs where Ryo flipped up a light switch, revealing the kitchen. Ginga walked over to the fridge and opened it, barely able to carry the full gallon of milk he got from inside it in his arms.

"Do you need any help, Ginga?" Ryo asked as his son placed it on the counter, though it looked more like he dropped it there.

"No, I'm ok." he told him while grabbing two clean glasses from next to the sink and setting them in front of him. Ryo stood and watched behind Ginga as he took off the lid and tilted the container forward with both his hands until it hit the rim of one of the glasses, making it tip forward slightly.

"Ginga-" he tried to warn him that he was going to tip it, but his son shushed him. Just as it was about to tip, Ryo jumped forwards and caught the glass mid-fall, holding it up until his son was finished, "I think you should let me pour the other one."

Ginga's face turned slightly red in embarrassment as he handed his father the container, "Uh, yea." and he went to go sit down at the table. Ryo glanced over at his son while pouring the other glass. A depressed look came over the child, his finger went in a circle around a dark, oval shaped mark on the table, his head resting on his other hand. Once filling the glass, Ryo brought them both over to the table and set one in front of Ginga, making him look up at it.

"Thanks, Dad." he said as he held the glass in his hands and put it up to his lips to take a big drink out of it. As Ginga set down the half empty cup of milk back on the table, he heard his father beginning to laugh. "What?" he asked.

"That's a nice milk mustache!" Ryo chuckled.

"Huh?" Ginga tried looking down but his nose got in the way.

"Hey, how do I look?"

He looked up at his father only to find him with the same look he had; a white milk mustache right below his nose. The two laughed at each other for what felt like a long time and for that moment, Ginga's face was lit up with a bright smile. Though, the moment didn't last, as he remembered his nightmare from a few minutes ago and became quite.

Ryo realized his son's sudden quietness and tried talking to him, "Ginga, are you alright?" There was no reaction from him but when he wiped the milk off his face so he stood, walked around the table, and kneeled next to Ginga. He placed a hand on the kid's arm, "Can you please tell me what happened? Maybe I can help."

Ginga thought for a second before he stepped out of his chair and walked to the doorway that led to the living room. He motioned for his father to follow him as he walked in. When Ryo stepped in, he saw his son coloring on the floor with crayons and a blank piece of paper. The man took a seat on the couch, eventually wiping his face, waiting for him to finish. Eventually, Ginga finished and he went to go sit next to his father. "Here..." Ginga handed the drawing to Ryo.

Ryo examined the picture for a second. It appeared to be some sort of black, shadowy figure with sharp teeth and large red eyes, "So, was this in your dream?"

"Yea... it was really mean..."

"Well what is it?"

"I- I don't know. It was trying to get me, but every time it tried, its teeth missed by just an inch. Whenever I tried to call for you... my voice never came out and..." tears were sparkling in the boy's eyes "I was always alone and it would always get me in the end..."

Ryo set the paper down and put an arm around Ginga's shoulders, "There is no need to worry about that now... I'm here..." he whispered as Ginga rested his head on his dad's side, his small arms and hands were able to make their way as far around his father's stomach as they could. "Remember, Ginga, it is just a dream. Nothing can hurt you there, and if you become scared, imagine I am there with you. I will protect you from anything I can... I promise." And it was true, he would do anything to keep his only son safe. The only person left in his life he loved. Ryo looked down at his son, who had fallen asleep leaning on him, and ran his fingers through the boy's spiky, red hair, "Goodnight... Ginga..."

"Dad! Help!"

Ryo gasped awake at the sudden cry. His heart was racing, as he was sure it had come from Ginga, but the child was still sleeping against him. He wanted to go back to sleep but couldn't because he became too worried as Ginga began breathing heavily and his grip on his father's shirt tightened, "Ginga..?" He whispered to him and was about to shake his shoulder when his son tensed up and pulled away, "Hey... what's wrong?" Ryo then realized why he was acting strange, "You're in your nightmare, aren't you..." He let out a deep sigh and held Ginga close to him again as he started thrashing in his sleep, "Ginga, it's only a dream... please calm down..." he said as he caressed the shaking boy's back.

He collapsed to the ground as a shadow stood over him. Its eyes looked like blood, which was only one reason why Ginga feared it so much, "What? Too afraid to run anymore?" It taunted. Its voice was slightly deep and didn't sound at all familiar.

Ginga didn't want to answer. His voice was forced into a whisper during the nightmares and he hated it. No matter how many times he yelled for help, or how loud he tried to be, it never worked.

"No one is coming to help you! It would be best if you just gave in now!" The shadow yelled. He could see the evil smirk across its face that showed all of its sharp teeth, but its mouth didn't move when it talked.

"Leave me alone!" He tried yelling at it but, like before, almost nothing came out.

It threw its head back in a mechanical laugh and picked him up by the waist with what looked like a hand, "You think just by telling me so, that I'm going to listen?" Ginga was kicking and pushing away at the hand that held him, "Ha! What a joke!" It laughed and dropped the kid onto the ground.

Ginga let out a cry as he landed on his side, trying to hold back tears that were stinging his eyes. All he wanted was someone to be there with him, to make this thing go away. "Help! Anyone...please..." he pleaded.

The shadow seemed to be shaking its head, "What a weakling..." It said as it lifted its arm. Ginga stared at it in horror as it swung down. He was barely able to stumble out of the way of the first attack, but was still hit when it tried a second time, sending him into the floor again.

He was barely able to move anymore. He felt himself shaking as several tears ran into his hair, but despite how scared he felt, a warm wave came over him. It's only a dream... he thought.

"Stop running away!" Ginga heard the monster command as it slammed down on his body with its hand. Its other hand came out in a claw that threatened to come down on him.

Right before the shadow clawed down, in one last effort, Ginga cried out as loud as he could muster. Concentrating on clearing his voice with all his might, he yelled for his father. And it worked.

"He's not coming!" The shadow roared and it lunged forward. Ginga forced his eyes closed and turned his head, waiting for the attack to come.

"Hey, are you alright, Ginga?"

He peeked his eyes open, "Dad..?"

Ryo was standing over Ginga, a smile across his face, "What, I said I would protect you, didn't I?"

Ginga scrambled up from off the ground and wrapped his arms around his father's legs. Ryo bent down and embraced his son, letting him cry into his shoulder, "It's ok, Ginga. It's over." he said as he pulled him back to look at him, "Ok?"

Ginga nodded while wiping at his eyes. He wasn't sure how he had managed to make the monster go away so quickly but he dismissed the thought for a second. His father smiled at him again, "Good," he said as he stood, "Well, we both have to go. You have to wake up, and I gotta be there when you do." he rubbed his son's head and when Ginga looked up, he was awake and was staring into his father's exhausted eyes. Ryo sighed in relief, "Oh good, you're finally awake."

Without warning, Ginga threw his arms around Ryo's neck in a hug, surprising him. He whispered into the man's ear, "Thanks... Dad."

Ryo returned the hug, "It's good to see you finally awake. I stayed up with you the rest of the night while you thrashed around. Must have been some nightmare."

"It was..." Ginga admitted, "But you saved me! Like you said you would!"

Ryo grinned, "Oh, now did I?"

"Yes!" His son laughed but then felt guilty, "...Did you say you were up the rest of the night with me?"

Ginga jumped out of his father's arms and grabbed a nearby blanket, "Lay down." He told him.

Ryo hesitated, "Ginga, I can't just fall asleep with you awake. It's alright, I'm fine."

"Fine. Then I'll sleep too." Ginga said as he sat back down next to him, spreading the blanket over him and his father, "Now you can sleep!" he smiled.

Ryo sighed but then gave in and smiled tiredly back at him, "Alright, you win."

Ginga set his head in the same place as before he fell asleep, as did Ryo, quickly closing his eyes. Before Ginga fell asleep, however, he sat back up and kissed his father on the cheek, "Goodnight, Dad"

Ok, so I was bored one night and decided to make this! I really liked how Ginga looked up to his father so much in Metal Fusion, thus the story was born! Anyways, thanks for reading!(did I just you "thus"?)